


Reassignment

by TakemurasDroppedBurger



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Post Devil Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-23 11:13:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30054579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakemurasDroppedBurger/pseuds/TakemurasDroppedBurger
Summary: After the events in Night City, and the loss of Sandayu Oda, Goro Takemura is reassigned to work under Hanako Arasaka. As time goes on, he notices Hanako struggles to move on from Oda's loss; and begins to wonder just how close the two of them became over the time they worked together.
Relationships: Hanako Arasaka/Sandayu Oda
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	1. Return

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shenanigan_manifesto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shenanigan_manifesto/gifts).



> Hewwo Hanako/Oda enjoyers I am back with more content!
> 
> Stuff in italics represents a flashback scene <3

_ “You are to be reassigned,” Takemura felt his heart rate spike at the words, giving a curt bow and quick nod. He knew that this day was coming. Since his return from Night City, it seemed to only be a matter of time before he was sent off somewhere else to work.  _

_ He only hoped that he would not be stuck with an office job, it would be a waste on both his part and Arasaka’s part. He did not know the exact amount, but he was sure that the expense report of his seemingly endless cyberwares was more than a few sheets; more likely in a small binder. _

_ “Hanako needs a bodyguard more than I do, and with Oda gone, you will act as a step-in until we can find an adequate replacement,” Saburo said, Takemura still finding it jarring to be standing in front of Saburo, yet in a different body. Deep down, he knew it was the same man, but it was odd to hear such a different voice speaking to him about work. He was grateful that he both was able to stay in his line of work and continue to serve the Arasaka family directly. _

_ Takemura’s return from Night City was incredibly rough; coming back to Japan and sleeping for nearly two days straight before all of his cyberware was reactivated. He felt right with his body again, more than confident with his abilities now that he had his implants. _

_ “Yes, sir,” he bowed. After everything he had gone through in Night City, he had managed to claw his way out and back up- no thanks to V for coming back to rescue him in the apartments on the night of the parade. Saburo Arasaka reinstated him back with Arasaka quickly after much debate about where to place him, agreeing to have him keep his old position in the meantime until everyone was settled back into their estates back home in Japan.  _

_ There was no need for the immortal to have a bodyguard. But he still begged for his position. Although engram technology existed, it was futile without a body lined up. _

_ And not just any body; a compatible one.  _

_ Saburo Arasaka would still require a bodyguard despite everything.  _

_ “Very well then, I will let her know you are on your way.”  _

_ “Yes, Arasaka-sama.”  _

  
  


The estate Hanako resided in was much nicer than Saburo’s, he noted. Perhaps it was the personality of the compound, the paintings that hung on the wall, the bright lights overhead that made the place feel more welcoming and less sterile. There was art on nearly every table, elaborate looking vases, or small sculptures imported from around the globe. Hanako seemed to appreciate fine arts more than her father; Takemura knew that she tended to visit art exhibits with Oda- Arasaka renting out the entire exhibit for the morning for her to experience it all while ensuring her safety. He remembered Oda speaking of visiting several exhibits in the past.

He did not have many belongings, clothing shoved into a duffel bag, weapons tucked away into a locked suitcase as he walked around the main building. Takemura glanced over her schedule, noticing it was certainly more full than Saburo’s had been. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that she was more active than her father. 

But now that he was in a much younger body, his schedule was slowly beginning to round out and become more filled as time went on. 

It felt odd to walk around the estate by himself, Oda usually walking alongside him, talking about what he had been doing lately, or chatting about his latest jogs or target practice. He noticed his room had already been assigned, heading straight to it and putting his belongings away. Takemura was not sure how long he was going to be assigned here, it could be years, so he brought all of his belongings with him just in case. 

Tech-enhanced fingers hung his clothes up in the closet, ensuring that all of his clothes were kept in order, and would remain wrinkle-free. Takemura took great pride in his appearance, and he was sure that it was evident.

Deep down, Takemura knew that they would not be able to find a full replacement for Oda right away. It took years for Takemura to train Oda, not to mention the current state of how the world was in an uproar against Saburo Arasaka’s return. 

His eyes gazed across the door that led to Oda’s room, or what had _ been  _ his room. He allowed his fingertips to trace along with the metal of the door, noting it did not open when he approached it, indicating it was locked for right now. He made a mental note to get in there eventually and tidy up, planning on going through his things and sorting through everything. 

“Takemura-san,” Hanako said, offering a small smile as she came around the corner. He immediately noticed how it looked like she had not slept in weeks, and how it looked like she had almost lost weight in the three weeks since returning from Night City. 

“Hanako-sama,” he offered a bow. 

“My father said you would be arriving, I did not expect you so soon,” she said. 

“I wanted to ensure you were not left unprotected for too long,” he remarked, watching her nod. It had already left him extremely uneasy that she had been left without a dedicated bodyguard, but instead having a full security team assigned to her.

“I see,” she looked over towards Oda’s room, letting out a soft sigh. Takemura knew that this would be a large change for the both of them, but primarily on Hanako’s part; Oda had been working and protecting her for decades now. 

“My meetings are done for the day, I will retire to the library to rest,” she said, Takemura knew of her library, a place that Hanako herself had designed and made into a small haven for her to retreat to when the world would become too much for her to bear. A quiet room within the compound where she can get lost in the world of fiction. “You are welcome to join me,” she said. 

“Of course, Hanako-sama.” 

  
  


The library felt like a whole different world than the compound itself, white minimalistic furniture was replaced with wooden antique lounges and couches; a table tray sat on a small coffee table. Packets of various teas were in a small wooden box on a table next to a lamp. It felt… cozy, in a way. When he stood in the doorway, it felt like he was looking into a different world, which was set far back in the past. He knew that most of the furniture was probably older than Hanako was. He knew she liked to collect older things, finding the world before technology fascinating. 

_ “Isn’t it remarkable to think that if people wanted to read, they would have to walk to a building and find a physical book? Or if they wanted to know something, they had to look up research logs?” She had asked him once, eyes starry as she thought about the world before electricity or blazing internet speeds.  _

_ “It is,” he answered, finding it hard to believe that such a world had once existed; a world before cyberware, and that there was once a time when there was no electricity, that people would write by candlelight in the evenings.  _

  
  


Her book collection had certainly expanded since the last time he had seen it. The shelves were now crammed full, books lined up, spines lining the shelf as he looked at them all. He could not remember the last time he had been in here, but it was not anything like this. Takemura read the words across the spines of the books, noting that most of them were older titles, and some were originals. 

The last time he had seen it, she had needed bookends to keep them upright on the shelves, as they were nowhere near full. But it had also been over a decade since he had been in the library. 

Hanako was silent as she sat on the couch, Takemura moving silently across the room to her. 

He may not have worked directly under Hanako, but Oda spoke of her often enough that he did know a few things about her. The library was silent as Takemura fell to his knees, quickly removing her heels for her and setting them aside, placing them together at the edge of the couch. 

“Thank you, Takemura-san,” she said, watching as he stood back up. 

“Would you like me to make you some tea?” He asked, noticing that the box of teas was uneven. The black tea was nearly gone, while the rest seemed untouched. Meaning that was her preferred type. 

“Yes, please,” she agreed. “Black tea with two packets of sugar,” she said, picking up a book from the small coffee table in front of her as Takemura retrieved the packet of tea. He was slightly surprised to see it was prepackaged, and not loose. 

_ “I can’t make tea with loose leaves to save my life,” Oda sighed. “Hanako-sama does not seem to mind, but I’m practicing.”  _

Ah, that was why. 

It wasn’t a surprise to find an electric kettle in the library, knowing that it meant she drank tea in here often enough to warrant one. 

“Do you like to read?” She asked, Takemura not looking up from pouring the scalding water. 

“I used to read very often,” Takemura answered, “Unfortunately I have not found myself with the time to do so,” he continued. “I have read  _ War and Peace  _ numerous times.”

“I see, you are welcome to my books if you like,” she offered. “I believe that imagination is good for people, to imagine faraway lands, or read about things that seem so far out of this world.”

“Thank you,” he brought the tea back, two packets of sugar in it as she had previously asked. He placed it down on the small tray, moving the entire tray next to Hanako on the couch. Working under Saburo, he very rarely had free time for other activities, although he was not incredibly active, Takemura was still present by his side nearly around the clock. Countless hours of standing next to him as he would work at his desk became his usual routine, and he never minded. 

He glanced out the window, noting how thick the glass was; no doubt bulletproof and  vigorously  tested to ensure that statement was true. The summer was slowly turning into fall, watching as a small gust of wind rustled the leaves of the trees, noting that a few of them were already starting to turn into a rich red color. 

“Have you read  _ Around the World in Eighty Days _ ?” She asked, looking over at him, deft fingers cradling the warm cup of hot tea, steam rising from the surface of it. 

“I have not,” he shook his head. 

“You should, it is my favorite book,” she said, fingertips tracing along the etched lettering of the cover of the book. “Oda gave it to me as a gift for our first Christmas together,” she explained. “I reread it every year during the fall, knowing it will take me a while to finish due to my work schedule,” she continued, Takemura allowing his eyes to slip shut. 

It had been a massive adjustment for everyone when Oda was killed. 

_ “You did not have to kill him,” Takemura said, voice wavering as he ascended the steps, glancing down at Hanako’s float from above, his blood running cold as he realized what had happened.  _

_ “He would have done the same to me, Takemura,” V said, justifying the kill.  _

_ “I will remember this,” he promised, gritting his teeth as he was tempted to cut the call entirely.  _

_ Oda was gone.  _

_ He was dead.  _

As expected, Takemura quickly acclimating to a new schedule. In stark contrast to her father, Hanako enjoyed spending as much time outside as she possibly could; which was a nice change of pace for him. 

He enjoyed summer when the humidity stayed at bay. When the air did not seem thick enough to drink the moisture-free from it. Takemura was grateful that the summers in Japan were not too awful, although there were some days in mid- July that left him panting, the armor around his neck increasing in temperature drastically if he stayed out in the sun for too long, nearly burning his fingertips as he would touch it. 

He insisted on working outside; enjoying the fresh air. 

Oda liked being outside too.

There was a gentle breeze, enough to stir the plants in the garden, the leaves rustling gently on the trees as he looked over to one, watching the branches and twigs bend towards the top and edges, giving to the wind.

He remembered bringing Oda here for the first time, double-checking to ensure his clothing was presentable; watching Oda’s eyes gaze across the greenery, no doubt unused to it due to previously living in a training facility. 

_ The colored flowers stood out against the green leaves that surrounded them, noticing the small water droplets and damp grass below, indicating either a sprinkler system or people maintained the courtyard.  _

_ “Hanako-sama,” Takemura said, announcing their presence as they rounded a small corner of the sidewalk, Hanako sitting on a large bench, a book in hand. She had a finger slid between the pages to keep her place before quickly replacing it with a bookmark.  _

_ “It is good to see you, Takemura-san,” she smiled, standing up.  _

_ “It is good to see you too,” he answered, moving aside for Oda, who quickly clasped both hands behind his back.  _

_ Her hair was pulled up into a bun immaculately, not a single hair loose. A gold and white dress hugged her form perfectly. Gold accents ran down her legs, blending into her golden heels.  _

_ Oda gazed across her golden fingertips, watching the sun cast and reflect off of the surface of them.  _

_ “This is Oda,” Takemura said, “I am sure your father has already sent you quite a bit about him already,” he said, Hanako nodding.  _

_ “He did, but I just looked it over for a moment,” she said, far too busy with her schedule to be able to sit down and read her bodyguard’s entire charts as well as academic history. If her father and Takemura said Oda was a good fit, then she would listen. “It is very nice to meet you,” she said, giving him a small smile.  _

_ “It is nice to meet you too, Hanako-sama,” he said, bowing to her. He noticed she had the same optics that Takemura did, not surprising she had Arasaka cyberware. “I look forward to working for you,” he added. _

He looked across the small seating area, Hanako staring out into the expanse of the courtyard before her, a cup of tea sat in front of her. 

Takemura noticed the drink was no longer hot. 

He frowned as he approached her. 

“Hanako-sama, your father is expecting a phone call from you,” he said, pulling up her schedule, her head jerking up; as if she had not heard him approach her at all. 

“Oh, thank you Takemura-san,” she said, pushing herself to her feet. “Tell him I am on my way,” Takemura recognized the forced smile. He did as he was told, sending a message to her father letting him know she would be calling shortly. The cold cup of tea was plucked from the table, Takemura watching as she retreated into the estate. 

_ “She’s probably still acclimating to everything, after Night City, it is no surprise,”  _ he thought to himself, following her indoors. 

  
  


“Thank you, but I am not hungry,” she shook her head, Takemura setting a plate of food on the edge of her desk. 

“Are you unwell?” He asked, eyebrow raised. 

“I do not think so, I believe I am just tired, perhaps I will retire back to my room for the evening,” she said, Takemura picking up the plate of food for her. 

“I think that would be wise,” he agreed. Her cramped and busy schedule seemed to leave her drowning and gasping for air, he would watch as Netrunning would vanish from her schedule, her removing it manually. 

The entire world was watching Arasaka, the company being thrown into a poor light as people protested Saburo Arasaka’s return. The secure your soul program was fine when it was celebrities using it, but now that the general public had realized that corporations and wealthy politicians could technically rule forever. There were protests at nearly every single Arasaka headquarters building across the globe, security tightening down harder than ever. Takemura watched the news stories, of people carrying signs and chanting outside of the headquarters. 

He knew Hanako was also watching. 

He followed behind Hanako, carrying her dinner up to her room for her, gently setting it on the table in the living area as she ducked into her private room, the door closing quietly. 

Takemura waited by the door, waiting to be dismissed. He had been in this line of work long enough that he knew the ins and outs, how long to wait and when to move along to ensure the safety and integrity of the compound. 

As predicted, she had changed out of her dress and heels, a soft-looking white robe covered her now as she looked over to Takemura. 

“Do you miss him?” She asked, Takemura looking back over at her. 

“Yes,” he nodded, watching her nod and make herself comfortable on the small couch. 

“He tried to tell me to back out of the parade, looking back, I should have trusted him. He told me that he felt he could not keep me safe… I-I wanted to be confident in his abilities and reassure him he was strong and he could protect me,” she whispered. “Why did he have to die? He… he did nothing wrong, so then why?” 

Takemura was at a loss for words. 

Why  _ did _ Oda have to die?

He was already defeated, lying on the ground; pride wounded worse than his body was. He remembered telling V to spare him, to keep going- that nothing stood in their way now. Oda was already down, spent, and injured from the long fight.

But he could not stop V, his heart plummeting as he heard a final gunshot over the communication line. 

Oda didn’t have to die. 

Takemura frowned. 

“I do not know, I am sorry,” he bowed his head, Hanako looking at her meal. She was only slightly more hungry than earlier. 

“He insisted on checking on our netrunner… in hindsight, I should have told him to stay put with me; you would never do something so horrible to him,” she said, Takemura watching a tear slip down her face. And it was the truth, Oda would have encountered Takemura rather than V. Never in a million years could Takemura imagine taking Oda out, even if the time did come to it. 

“Night City was good to no one,” Takemura said. “It is a shame, as our last meeting was not on good terms,” he said, shifting his gaze down to the carpeted flooring. Down at the docks, he wished things had been better, tensions were high and Takemura felt he had nothing left to lose at that point. “I am sorry, Hanako-sama, if I had been there… I would have stopped V by my own hands,” he promised. 

Hanako nodded, taking the plate and placing it into her lap as she began to eat slowly, taking small bites. 

“I know you would have, he spoke of you very often, and was fond of you,” she peeked up at him. “I wish he had encountered you on that day instead.”

Takemura nodded, grateful she was eating something at least. 

Anything was better than nothing. 

“We both knew that this day would come, he is a bodyguard, it was expected that something like this would happen. I did… no expect it to be so soon though,” she said. “I… I miss him so much,” she said, reaching and drying her tears with the napkin that was with her plate. 

Takemura said nothing, unsure of what exactly to say. 

He knew that Oda and Hanako got along very well, Oda flashing a small smile, Hanako mimicking the action. Takemura knew that this would not be anything remotely close to if it happened on his end. 

Saburo likely would not even blink if Takemura was killed in the line of duty. 

But that was the difference between him and his daughter. “You are dismissed for the evening,” she said, working more on her meal. “Thank you for bringing me dinner.” 

“Of course, Hanako-sama,” he bowed, slipping out of the room quietly. “Please, call if you need anything.” 


	2. Distant Thoughts

For the first time since returning from Night City, Takemura dreamt.

_ “I am approving you for cyberware,” Takemura said, thumbing through a tablet of options, Oda panting as he downed a second bottle of water. The gym felt sweltering now as the both of them had finished their rigorous training. It had been nearly a year since Takemura had taken Oda on as his apprentice, traveling to the Arasaka Training Facility deep in Tokyo. And in that year, Oda had flourished and exceeded all expectations he had of him. _

_ “What kind?” He asked, pushing himself to his feet. His legs ached, shins bruised from blocking against Takemura with them. After a while, he got used to the overall aches and pains his body produced. The burn and ache of his muscles was a good sign, meaning he was working them correctly.  _

_ “Nothing weaponry, for now, do not get too excited,” Takemura said, glancing over at him before handing the tablet over. “I will not choose for you, it is your body, after all. Although, if I feel it is a bad decision, I can say so.” _

_ Oda swiped on the screen, feeling slightly overwhelmed from all the options. “I believe you should choose upgrades that will benefit what you want to achieve.” _

_ “I want to be faster,” he said, looking up at him. “Untouchable,” Oda continued, Takemura nodding.  _

_ “Still on the cyberninja route, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow.  _

_ “Yes, you said yourself, it is my body, and that is what I want.”  _

_ Takemura let out a deep sigh. “I am not opposed,” he said. “Although I do suggest armor, a bodyguard is useless if you are slain in combat due to weak points,” he said, motioning to his own throat that had fully been replaced. “Mine extends down my back to protect my spine from nerve damage, and down my sternum to protect my heart. It is something you should heavily consider.”  _

_ Oda thought about it, it did look cool, and it would certainly give him a cutting edge.  _

_ “Is it heavy? I worry about it throwing my center of balance off,” Oda said, looking back down at the tablet.  _

_ “No, I got used to it nearly immediately. Although the recovery period is longer, and the rejection rate is higher, the payoff is well worth it in the end,” Takemura explained. “You do not have to decide today, it is a large decision, and I do not want you to rush it, and then regret it,” he said, Oda placing the tablet into his backpack.  _

_ “Alright, I’ll think about it,” he said, giving a quick bow. “Thank you for the lesson today.” _

_ Takemura bowed back. “Make sure you are practicing on your own as well.” _

_ “I have been,” Oda said, every single spare moment of his time was spent either studying or training. He ran through drills until his feet ached, until his body protested even a single movement.  _

_ Takemura knew that Oda had been working hard, he checked the logs on his keycard, able to see when and where he was going throughout the facility, seeing he was spending hours at a time in the gym, even at extremely odd hours. It did not bother him, no matter what the time was, as long as he was taking this seriously and not slacking, he did not mind. “I think some armor like yours would be beneficial to me,” Oda said. “I would rather get it now and recover here, than to get them later and be temporarily dismissed from protecting Hanako-sama.”  _

_ “I will be in contact then, Arasaka will have something custom-made for you.”  _

_ “Isn’t that expensive?” Oda asked, he had only received new optics since receiving the news of his new position, they were bottom of the barrel, but they were better than no optics at all.  _

_ “That is not something you need to be concerned with, Arasaka-sama will sign off on it. If it pertains to your abilities to protect Hanako-sama, he will give you countless upgrades,” he remarked, Oda blinking a few times.  _

_ “Then can I get new optics too?”  _

_ “Do not be greedy,” Takemura scolded.  _

_ “I have the same ones as everyone else here, they’re not even Kiroshi.” _

_ “To be fair, mine are not Kiroshi either,” Takemura said, his own being from the Arasaka line, hand-picked for him. “But, I will put in a word for new optics for you.”  _

_ Oda smiled.  _

* * *

_ “These are your options,” the ripperdoc said, handing him a tablet as he got comfortable in the operating chair, Takemura sitting next to him. “All Kiroshi, as I heard you specified,” he continued. Oda willed himself to calm down, slightly nervous now that he was in the chair. Takemura told him that it would be a very long process, and the healing process would take a long time for him. But he was prepared for that, anything to ensure he could do his duty better.  _

_ Oda scrolled and scrolled, trying to find the ones he liked, removing the colors he did not like from the menu selection.  _

_ He stopped as he saw a pair of bright blue Kiroshi optics, MK 3, nonetheless.  _

_ “Find one?” Takemura asked, noticing that Oda had stopped scrolling.  _

_ “Yeah, but they are too advanced for me,” he said, scrolling down a bit further.  _

_ “Get them anyways,” Takemura insisted, “they are your optics, after all. You need to like them, I do not want you getting something you do not like. If they are more advanced, then that just means you will not have to upgrade them for a very long time,” he said, leaning forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “Arasaka-sama will not object to his daughter’s bodyguard having a high grade of optics.” _

_ “Alright,” Oda said, scrolling back up to the optics he wanted, handing the tablet back to the doctor. “Is it going to hurt?” Oda asked, looking over to Takemura, who chose not to answer for a few moments.  _

_ “Yes,” he finally said. “Very much so, but that was a while ago, and the technology has changed since then. You will handle it just fine,” Takemura promised him. _

_ Oda nodded, trusting him.  _

_ The anesthesia felt cold in his arm, like ice water racing through his bloodstream. It was nearly instant, his movements feeling sluggish as he adjusted in the chair, his breathing heavier as exhaustion began to overtake him.  _

* * *

_ Oda blinked several times, the light overhead suddenly too bright, options and menus popping up on his HUD, the doc reaching over onto the computer he was jacked into and manually removing them for Oda.  _

_ “How you feel?” The doc asked, Oda just groaning as an answer. “Yeah, thought so,” he laughed, injecting something into Oda’s arm. “That’ll ease the pain, you’ll feel good as new here in no time.” _

_ “Take…mura?” He groaned, his voice raspy, wishing he had some water right now.  _

_ “I am here, Oda,” Takemura said, placing a hand on his shoulder, Oda could feel his body heat immediately, realizing he was shirtless now.  _

_ “I am… tired.” _

_ “Go back to sleep, Oda. When you wake up, you will be much more comfortable, I promise,” he said, thumb rubbing his shoulder as if enticing him to lul back to the world of dreams. “I will be there when you open your eyes again.” _

_ Sleep certainly did sound good, the medicine he had been given was slowly edging the pain away, starting to feel better and better with every passing moment. He still felt drained. No doubt his body exhausting itself to try to figure out what the hell is going on, metal now meeting flesh. He felt something soft and warm draped over him; unable to tell if it was a blanket or if it was Takemura’s jacket.  _

_ Takemura watched as Oda fell back asleep. _

  
  
  
  
  


The winter months were slowly approaching, the leaves falling from the trees out in the courtyard, gathering in small piles beneath them to be raked up by someone who did the lawn maintenance for the estate. 

Rain began to fall, Takemura watching it slowly drip down the window of his room as he looked outside, hands wrapped around a small cup of coffee. 

He allowed his eyes to fall closed, remember the absolutely shitty coffee he had drank in at Tom’s Diner in Night City. It was god awful, but it was coffee and he still drank the entire thing. 

It was nearly five in the morning according to his internal clock. Another sip of coffee. He had allowed himself to fall behind on combat training, trying to work it around Hanako’s busy and cramped schedule. She seemed to be sleeping in a bit more in the mornings now, pushing things back later and later. 

He didn’t mind, it meant he got time to work in the gym. 

  
  


The gym was just as large as the one at Saburo Arasaka’s estate, not that it came to any sort of surprise. The door closed behind him as the lights turned on. The flooring was covered in thin dark gray mats. 

He remembered throwing Oda down onto them dozens of times a week, the other man never letting it deter him, getting right back up every single time. 

_ “I am not going to fill you full of weapons when you have not even mastered the basics,” Takemura shook his head, Oda nodding in understanding. “Once you have mastered the blade, I will consider signing off on mantis blades.”  _

_ “I cannot beat you without them though,” Oda pointed out. “I am at an extreme disadvantage.” _

_ “I am not even using my cyberware, it is flesh against flesh when we fight. Until you can grasp your basics, you will stay like this. Understand it is for your safety, would you give someone a gun on their first day in the facility?” Takemura asked, Oda quiet for a few moments.  _

_ “No, I would not,” he said, seeing Takemura’s point. It didn’t make him any less upset over it, but he understood why he had put the rule into place. “I will be patient and wait for my mantis blades,” Oda said, Takemura nodding.  _

  
  


He pushed the memories from his head. 

_ “Why am I remembering that now?”  _ He thought to himself, having previously forgotten the conversation entirely. It felt different to wear standard issued workout gear, loose sweatpants with a long sleeved skin tight shirt; both had the Arasaka name across them. 

Takemura let out a deep sigh, beginning to work through drills. 

For a moment, he expected to see Oda next to him, mimicking his actions. He ran through drills until his legs felt like jelly, trembling and shaking underneath him, doing push-ups until his arms felt the very same way. Sweat dripped from his face and onto the mats below, a few stray hairs falling free from his bun. Everything ached, muscles that he had not used in weeks were protesting the strenuous movements now. 

He received a ping that Hanako was awake, glancing at the clock. It was only 5:36 am. 

_ “She’s up really early today,”  _ he thought to himself, heading out of the gym, deciding it was time to start his day. 

  
  


“I apologize if I woke you up,” Hanako said, looking out the massive window that lead to the courtyard behind her office. Takemura’s eyes flickered over the expanse of the pool that he knew had not been used since summer. 

“I was already awake,” Takemura said, “although you are up extremely early,” he pointed out, the sun just barely beginning to rise, casting deep long shadows across the earth before it. The sky was slowly starting to turn a light shade of pink and orange. 

“I could not sleep,” she explained, trying to rub the tiredness from her eyes. “I miss Oda,” she said. “I still go outside and hope he’s sitting under his favorite tree, or up in it looking over the compound walls at the valley below, but I look out my window and he is nowhere in sight, I turn around and expect him to be standing behind me, it feels as if I have lost my shadow. And I know you are here to protect me but… I am sorry, it is not the same.” 

“It is understandable that this is a big change, he has been here for a very long time, it will take getting used to now that he is gone.”

“Takemura-san… is this what you felt like when my father died in Night City?”

“No… I did not mourn, I felt nothing but disgust, anger, and failure. His death was a result of my lack of attention,” he reminded her, her eyebrows knitting together. 

“I should not have done the parade,” she said, shoulders heavy as she watched the sun gently light up the courtyard. 

“We cannot fix the past, I wish we could,” Takemura spoke, stepping next to her, watching as tears ran down her face quickly as she cried. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing exactly how to react. He went from working under Saburo Arasaka, who never showed his true emotions or any form of weakness, to working under Hanako, who was still mourning months later. 

Takemura glanced out to the courtyard. “You developed feelings for him,” he said, not even bothering to ask. 

He knew the answer. 

And that is why this was still happening. 

Even if they had become friendly, this length of mourning was becoming overkill. And as the weeks stretched into months, Takemura began to suspect that things were more serious than he had previously thought. 

“Yes,” she admitted, even the gold that lined her fingertips seemed dull as of late. “We both became close as time went on,” Hanako confessed. “I… I loved Sandayu more than anything in the world.” 

“I am sorry he is gone,” Takemura said. Despite the thousands of hours of training and education he had been given from Arasaka, never had he been told what to do in a situation like this. He frowned as Hanako cried next to him, tears falling from her cheeks faster than she could swipe them away. 

“Did you cry too?” She asked, looking up at him. 

“No… I did not,” he admitted. 

“There’s… nothing wrong with crying you know, it’s okay, you’re allowed to cry,” Hanako whispered. 

“I will remember that.” 

Overall, Oda was better with expressing emotions than Takemura was, and it was no secret to the both of them. 

Takemura sighed, turning to face her. “Come here, you may dry your tears on me,” he said, watching as she quickly hugged him, sobbing loudly against his chest as he held her. How long had it been since he had held someone, he tried to think back, and honestly could not ever think of a time where he had physically touched someone in a positive way. Most of his contact was negative; fighting and training. There was no time for anything else in his life. 

He was not sure how long they stood like this, Hanako with her face buried against the black soft shirt he wore, tears soaking into it quickly as she cried. Her entire body shook as Takemura held her tightly.

“You should take today off,” Takemura said, trying to keep his voice hushed as best as he could, “I believe a day off would do you well.” 

“A-Alright,” she said, her voice muffled as it was still pressed against his chest, finally letting go as she allowed her fingers to swipe away the few last remaining tears that slid down her face. Her entire face was flushed, exhaustion shone in her eyes. He quickly cleared her schedule for her. “Thank you, Takemura-san.” 

  
  


As expected, Hanako did not leave her room for the entire day; Takemura bringing her breakfast, lunch, and dinner; watching her push the food around with her silverware, clearly uninterested in eating any of it. He attempted to even have the food placed on a larger plate to make the meals seem smaller, but she still only took a few bites before sending the plate back to the kitchen. 

She insisted she was fine, despite Takemura’s inquiries about how she was doing, leaving him letting out a deep sigh the moment he walked out of her door, holding the still full plate of food. 

Despite his asking, he could not make her eat, nor could he will her to be better on his own. It was unusual to have things to drastically out of his control, leaving him feeling powerless as he watched as a mere bystander. Decades of training, top grades in his academics, and Takemura was at the will of someone’s emotions. 

His eyes slipped closed as he sent her father a message regarding the situation.

* * *

“She appears to have been much closer to Oda than I had previously thought,” Takemura said. “I knew they got along, but it would appear they were in a private relationship and did not dare tell anyone.”

“And you are confident in what you say?” 

“Yes. They kept everything behind closed doors, which explains why Hanako-sama is struggling to move past the grieving stage. She loved him, very much. It was encrypted, but I saw security footage of them on several occasions. They did a good job at hiding it.” And it was even easier to hide since neither of them left the estate, it was just the two of them alone most of the time. “She told me she loved him more than anything.”

Saburo let out a displeased hum, leaning back in the office chair as he let Takemura’s words sink in. It all came together, and it all began to make sense. 

“Love or not, something needs to be done,” Saburo said, leaning forward, elbows resting on the massive desk before him. “Her memories need to be wiped.” 

Takemura was silent for a few moments, unsure if he had heard him right. Wiping his own daughter’s memories? “Hanako can not know of this, I trust you will get the job done right.”

“Yes, sir,” Takemura nodded, Saburo setting a small glass vial on the desk, the both of them looking at the clear liquid inside. “And if she questions anything?” He asked, Hanako was smart and cunning. If not enough memories were wiped, she would remember glimpses of him, and would question who he was, and where he went.

“I will leave that up to you,” Saburo told him. “I am sure you can come up with something.” 

“Yes, sir,” he nodded, taking the vial, looking down at it in his hands. 

“How much do we need to remove?” He slid the glass vial into his pocket, patting it as if it were to somehow vanish. 

“I will also leave that up to your discretion, if you see necessary, wipe every single memory of Oda away. It may cause problems if she was with him while discussing anything important about her projects, as those memories will also be erased. You may have to remove everything regarding Night City.” 

“She will question why you are in her brother’s body, will she not?” Takemura asked, Saburo sitting back in the chair, thinking. Too much had happened in Night City, it would be evident if the entire event was erased.

“Just remove Oda for now, if we need more removed, we can go back.” 

“Yes, Arasaka-sama,” he bowed. 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is dedicated to bean, inspired heavily by The Kiji
> 
> Thank you for always inspiring me


End file.
